The topical application of liquid compositions to the surfaces of both animate and inanimate objects to effect a desired change involve processes of controlling wetting, spreading, foaming, detergency, and the like. When used in aqueous solutions to improve the delivery of active ingredients to the surface being treated, trisiloxane-type compounds have been found to be useful in enabling the control of these processes to achieve the desired effect. However, trisiloxane compounds can only be used within a narrow pH range, one ranging from a slightly acidic pH of 6 to a very mildly basic pH of 7.5. Outside this narrow pH range, trisiloxanes are not stable to hydrolysis, undergoing rapid decomposition.
Silicon based surfactants that are stable to hydrolysis over a wide pH range are very desirable as such compounds would allow for compositions providing more effective topical application to the surfaces of both animate and inanimate objects, the use of smaller quantities of water and/or an increase in the effectiveness of agricultural sprays.